Burning

Burning involves the use of a propane torch, an electric paint remover or a heal lamp to soften the finish, and a scraper to scrape away the softened finish. Burning is frequently used to remove paint from houses, and takes practice. You apply the heat until the finish blisters and softens, then quickly Scrape the softened area. Care must be taken, especially with the open flame of the torch, not to let the materials on the surface catch fire. They will, if you bold the torch on them too long.

With burning, you can get down to the original wood easily, and there is no chemical discoloration. Burning will not affect a stain that has soaked into wood, but ihis technique will remove anything that is a coating on the wood's surface, including stains. Burning will remove some varnishes, which arc not affected by chemicals. But burning furniture surfaces is clumsy work. Table tops and dresser sides aren't bad, but you'll find it difficult to handle intricate pieces, such as rungs, stretchers or small frame members.

THIS book is one of the series of Handbooks on industrial subjects being published by the Popular Mechanics Company. Like Popular Mechanics Magazine, and like the other books in this series, it is written so you can understand it. The purpose of Popular Mechanics Handbooks is to supply a growing demand for high-class, up-to-date and accurate text-books, suitable for home study as well as for class use, on all mechanical subjects. The textand illustrations, in each instance, have been prepared expressly for this series by well known experts, and revised by the editor of Popular Mechanics.